May 18, 2022 | by Western Jurisdiction College of Bishops
On March 9, 2022, the Western Jurisdiction College of Bishops and the Western Jurisdiction Committee on the Episcopacy announced that complaints had been filed against Bishop Minerva Carcaño. They also placed her on suspension for 60 days, to protect the well-being of the complainant, the Church and/or the bishop.
Suspension is not a punitive matter and does not indicate guilt or innocence. That suspension ended May 7, 2022, but the response to the complaints is not over. For the protection of all parties, Bishop Carcaño remains on suspension beyond May 7, as the process continues.
Whenever there is brokenness, we are compelled as followers of Jesus to seek healing and wholeness. The complaint process in The United Methodist Church is a formal way to respond to such brokenness. The Book of Discipline outlines a very detailed process when there are allegations of misconduct by a pastor, bishop, or even layperson.
Always at the heart of this process is the search for a just resolution that is agreeable to all parties, in hope that God’s work of justice, reconciliation, and healing may be realized. A just resolution may be reached at any point in the process.
Complaints in The United Methodist Church are not intended to be judged in the court of public opinion. The dignity of all involved is paramount. Throughout the process, there are checks and balances to make sure the process is fair and just. One way this is maintained is through conducting an inquiry and consultation process that maintains the privacy of the parties and allegations. Speculation about what is alleged in the complaints, or what the outcome might be, does not protect the principle of fair process for the protection of all.
In the covenant community of The United Methodist Church, we invite you to hold in prayer those who brought complaints, those responding to them, and those entrusted with seeking truth and a just resolution.
Our loving, just and healing God holds the church and all its servants in the arms of grace.
